Evika Siliņa

Evika Siliņa (born 3 August 1975) is a Latvian lawyer and politician who has been serving as the prime minister of Latvia since 15 September 2023. From 2022 to 2023, she served as in the second cabinet of prime minister Krišjānis Kariņš. She is a member of the Unity political party.
Early life
Siliņa was born in Riga on 3 August 1975. She studied at the University of Latvia from 1993 to 1997, where she obtained a bachelor's degree in law, and at the Riga Graduate School of Law, for a master's degree in social sciences, international law and European law.
From 2003 to 2012, Siliņa worked as a lawyer specialising in international and domestic business law. Also during this period, Siliņa worked with the legal services of public electronic communication concerns (telecommunications, internet), as well as the establishment and consulting of non-governmental organizations.
Political career
During the 2011 Latvian parliamentary election, Siliņa presented herself as a candidate for Zatlers' Reform Party in Riga, but she was not elected. From 2011 to 2012, she was a legal adviser to the Ministry of the Interior.
Siliņa served as the Parliamentary secretary at the Ministry of the Interior from January 2013 until 23 January 2019.
As Parliamentary Secretary, she was praised for her openness to journalists, for example in explaining the position of the Ministry of the Interior on various issues, as well as for her fight against synthetic cannabinoids and their circulation in Latvia. She also represented the Ministry in some international organisations such as the United Nations, INTERPOL and CEPOL.
Following the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers led by Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš on 23 January 2019, she assumed the role of to the Prime Minister.
Siliņa ran as a candidate in the 2022 Latvian parliamentary election from the New Unity party and was elected to the 14th Saeima.
On 6 December 2022, Siliņa was announced as Minister of Welfare in the Government of Krišjānis Kariņš. The new cabinet was confirmed on 14 December.
As Minister, the increase in the minimum income was one of her main objectives. On 23 February 2023, she was appointed by the Prime Minister as a member of the newly formed Thematic Committee on European Union Funds. On 4 July 2023, her Ministry brought to the Saeima the ratification of the Istanbul Convention with some reservations and the non-support of the government partner National Alliance.
Prime Minister of Latvia (2023–present)
On 16 August 2023, after the resignation of Krišjānis Kariņš, New Unity nominated Siliņa as candidate for the post of prime minister. On 24 August, she was asked by President Edgars Rinkēvičs to form a government.
On 29 August, United List declined to be part of a four-party coalition government following the offer by Siliņa. On 1 September, Siliņa indicated that she intended to forge a new parliamentary majority with the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) and The Progressives (P). Twelve days later she unveiled the composition of the new government, in which New Unity (JV) had seven ministries, ZZS four and P three, with Arturs Krišjānis Kariņš recalled as Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The government coalition led by Siliņa won the confidence of the parliamentary majority in the Saeima on 15 September 2023, receiving 53 votes. She stated that she would strive for inclusion of the Russian-speaking minority, promoting the learning of Latvian for an education system based on the Latvian language. The government also aims to increase the military budget and complete the construction of the barrier on the country's border with Russia and Belarus. Later that day the new Siliņa cabinet had its first meeting. Siliņa is the second woman to become prime minister of Latvia, following Laimdota Straujuma in 2014–2016.
Personal life
Evika Siliņa is married to Aigars Siliņš, with whom she has had children.
As well as her native language of Latvian, Siliņa is fluent in English and Russian.
See also
List of political parties in Latvia
:Category:New Unity politicians
References
External links
1975 births
Living people
People from Riga
New Unity politicians
Prime Ministers of Latvia
Ministers of Welfare of Latvia
Latvian women lawyers
21st-century Latvian lawyers
21st-century Latvian women politicians
Women government ministers of Latvia
Deputies of the 14th Saeima
University of Latvia alumni
Politicians from Riga
Lawyers from Riga
Women prime ministers in Europe
Female heads of government
21st-century women lawyers